Stoke City have tabled a £15 million bid for Tottenham striker Darren Bent.
The Daily Star Sunday says the ambitious offer - which would smash their previous record fee of £5.5m for Dave Kitson from Reading last summer - is why Sunderland's attempt to sign the England striker has been held up.
It seems Spurs chairman Daniel Levy prefers the Stoke deal but Sunderland are thought to be offering Bent better terms.
It could now be a question of whether Bent, who had already indicated he was keen to join Black Cats boss Steve Bruce, is prepared to change his mind and move to Stoke.